Review Pickwick Papers Vol. 1 Chapters 15-17

This installment begins with the Pickwickians almost getting into fisticuffs over costumes for a fancy dress party put on by Mrs. Leo Hunter, recounts the duping of Messr. Weller and Pickwick by Mr. Jingle and servant and ends with Mr. Pickwick telling the tale of The Parish Clerk. The tale could have easily happened to any one of the Pickwickians.

To be honest the clueslessness of the main characters are beginning to wear on me a little. I had had hopes for Sam Weller but he appears to be more Sancho Panza than Jeeves.

Pickwick Papers Vol. 1 Chapters 15-17

Congratulations to Mr. Ysmal! I, too, was married in a nonconformist church. Of course, this does make me a little sad for Mrs. Bardell who thought Mr. Pickwick was going to propose.

Dear valued subscribers:

I drop this off on my way to be wed in a nonconformist chapel - legal in Britain now, you know.  Enclosed please find chapters 15-17 of Mr. Dickens's Pickwick Papers.  The next issue should arrive on May 25th, to include chapters 18-20.

Best regards,

A.B. Ysmal

Review Pickwick Papers Vol. 1 Chapters 12-14

After letting his landlady think he was going to ask her to marry him but instead actually hired Sam Weller to be his valet, Mr. Pickwick and crew head out to Eatanswill for the election.

The beginning chapter of this saga is a little like something out of Gulliver's Travels.  Dickens explains the run up to the election rather like Gulliver entering a new land. I was raised in the Chicago area and thus am familiar with Chicago election jokes. This chapter teaches Chicago a couple of lessons in how to run an election to ensure your candidate wins. Although no one dead seems to be voting in this election.

This installment ends with two of the Pickwickians hearing the Bagman's Tale which is the tale of a man stopping in a Public House for the night and after a few too many cups of punch is helped by a talking chair to win a widow's heart. Well at least that's what the Bagman's uncle says.